RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Canelo Alvarez reclaimed the WBC super-middleweight title Saturday night, overcoming Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision with sharp counterpunching and a commanding performance in the second half of the fight.
The judges scored the bout 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110 in Alvarez’s favor. The victory handed Mbilli the first loss of his professional career and moved Alvarez’s record to 64-3-2. Mbilli dropped to 29-1-1.
The 36-year-old Mexican was fighting for the first time since surrendering his undisputed championship to Terence Crawford in September 2025. With the win, Alvarez returned to the ranks of world champions.
The result meant more than simply adding another belt to Alvarez’s collection. After the defeat by Crawford, questions had emerged about whether his championship era was over. Mbilli’s relentless pressure offered a demanding test, but Alvarez responded with crisp combinations and increasingly accurate punches to seize control as the contest unfolded.
“Oh, it’s so difficult to explain,” Alvarez said. “It’s something unbelievable.”
Mbilli’s activity and forward pressure kept the opening six rounds competitive, especially when he backed Alvarez toward the ropes. Alvarez countered with body shots and quick responses, then began to make a bigger impact in the sixth round with a right uppercut and a straight right hand.
The tempo of the exchanges gradually shifted. Alvarez began forcing Mbilli to react, breaking up his advances with the cleaner punches. On several occasions, he dropped his hands and encouraged Mbilli to attack, creating opportunities to counter from favorable positions.
Alvarez landed a telling uppercut in the seventh round before putting together combinations in the eighth. Mbilli faced another setback when referee Hector Afu deducted a point for a punch to the back of Alvarez’s head.
Alvarez used his jab effectively to dictate the 10th round. Mbilli continued to attack the body and connected with right hands in the final round, but Alvarez closed strongly, wobbling his opponent with a late right hand.
Alvarez said trainer Eddy Reynoso’s instructions were clear: keep moving, box intelligently and stay committed to the jab.
“Do what Canelo do the best. And that’s what I did,” Alvarez said.
When asked whether Mbilli had surprised him, Alvarez said he had expected a difficult opponent but felt he successfully restricted the challenger’s offense.
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After the fight, Alvarez paid an emotional tribute to Eddy Reynoso and Chepo Reynoso, crediting both men with playing a major role in shaping his career.
The tearful celebration and Alvarez’s long embrace with Eddy Reynoso revealed a side of the Mexican star rarely seen during his measured work in the ring. After 12 rounds of absorbing Mbilli’s pressure, Alvarez struggled to put the significance of becoming champion again into words. His attention soon turned from his own accomplishment to the people who helped him achieve it.
“I’m so proud, so proud of my team,” Alvarez said.
He also expressed gratitude to his family, who watched from afar, and joked that his wife had instructed him not to come home without the championship because she could not attend the fight.
“I won the title,” he said.
Alvarez did not immediately name his next opponent or commit to another fight.
“I’m gonna rest. I’m gonna keep learning. I’m gonna keep working hard,” he said.
In the co-main event, Jaime Munguia retained his WBA super-middleweight title by unanimous decision over Nikita Zon after surviving a scare in the sixth round. The judges scored the fight 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112, allowing Munguia to recover from the moment Zon hurt him and improve his record to 47-2.
Rafael Espinoza retained his WBO featherweight title with a technical knockout of Ricardo Blandon at 1:22 of the third round. A straight right opened a cut above Blandon’s left eye, and the referee stopped the fight on the ringside physician’s recommendation. Espinoza improved to 29-0 with 25 knockouts.
Reito Tsutsumi scored two second-round knockdowns before stopping Raymundo Rojas Garcia at 2:27. Tsutsumi improved to 6-0 with five knockouts.
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